You need to remember where you have been.
You need to remember where you are.
You don't need to know where you are going.
You don't need to know where you will end up.
Recognize the familiar.
Take advantage of the unknown.
Welcome to my Cup of Cosmos. Enjoy!
(and if you need a second cup, check out my other brewing blogs under my profile)

Monday, April 23, 2012

Today's Forecast: Transition

Today was the first warm day in a long time. Buds exploded
from branches, flowers tipped toward the sun, and it seemed that everyone came
out to grab some (much needed) vitamin D. The weatherman predicted a
“transition” in weather patterns– a hint that spring-cleaning is just around
the corner, and to sweep the cobwebs off of your lawn mower.

For me, I am in a different kind of transition. My
transition is similar to that of a weather pattern–it is unpredictable. Each
day brings about new questions, revisits old ideas, and looks for answers. I (nervous and) excitedly look forward
to the unexpected, and unannounced. Some days are sunny, brought about by good
news, good vibes and good energy.
Some days are rainy, due to challenges, obstacles, and (in some cases)
defeat. I like to call it the transition of the twenties. As I am faced with
new transitions everyday, questions brew in my mind and cloud my thoughts, such
as, what will happen tomorrow? Next month? Next year? In 10 years? Where will I
live? Who will I become? I wonder if all transitions are this challenging (for
creatures big and small, twenty or one hundred and twenty)?

When the transitions begin to pile up, I imagine what a
hermit crab must feel like when faced with the sudden urge or need to find a
new home, what shell troubles he must have to overcome? Does a bear feel
disoriented, confused and forlorn when he wakes up from a long bout of
hibernation? How does he wrap his head around the events that he missed while
sleeping? How does he reconnect
with his friends? What happens when birds heading south hit an unexpected head
wind? Do they give up or keep going? Do they feel outnumbered in the crowd?
Fight for a place in the V? Or face competition? What kind of predicament do
flowers and plants face when the ice refuses to melt of the heat lingers in the
air for too long? Who do they get advice from? How do they decide to overcome
these obstacles? For humans, I think it is safe to say, we rely on each other
to help us through the big transitions–the weather patterns called daily life.

Lately, I have found that a long run, hitting the pavement
with friends, has been just the place to help work through the transitions of
daily life. Within our group of runners, I am one of the youngest. I feel so lucky
to have so many amazing women (and a few men too) that I can look up to, who lend a listening ear, give
advice, tell me their story, share their transitions, and reassure me that I am
not alone. They have taught me that no matter where you are in life, there is
always going to be a transition ahead and that somehow, everyone manages to get
thought it and come out on the other side. Their encouragement and support not
only gets me through a long run, but it gets me through life.

Somehow, someway, everyone maneuvers through the tough
weather patterns, be it a storm or a major life change. Hermit crabs manage to
find new homes, bears wake up and get acclimated, birds migrate, and plants
sprout from the ground season after season, year after year. And if they can do it, I can do it,
and so can you.